On Good Terms
by lookingforthestars
Summary: It's all about communication.


**I wasn't sure for the past few months whether I would write another fic. It gets harder the longer the show is off. But for now let's just say you might hear from me once in a blue moon.**

She'd made a mistake. Another mistake in an unfortunately long string of them. She knew it the second they separated and she saw the complete bewilderment in his eyes.

And then there was Toby, who had mercifully arrived seconds too late to see the actual act, even if there was enough evidence for him to be suspicious. And then there was a missile. And then there was a crooked ATF agent. And then there were hours of debriefings and interviews and paperwork. And then they returned to the garage, and Walter had disappeared upstairs, and Paige was still sitting at her desk in a daze, torn between confronting him and going home to drown her sorrows in a glass of wine or two or hell, maybe a whole bottle.

Neither option felt right.

Nothing really did anymore.

They'd become friends again, first. They couldn't help it. It was hard to keep painting Walter as a selfish monster after he solved the problem she'd sworn she could solve and insisted that Centipede keep the credit. After he apologized for his missteps with Florence and assured her that he'd only ever wanted her to be happy, in whatever circumstances made that possible.

They agreed that being together was an experiment that hadn't worked out. Now, she wasn't sure if he honestly believed that or he said what he thought she needed to hear. But the feelings just kept flooding back, the craving to be in his orbit, regret over the potential future she'd lost with him, all culminating in one sudden, ill-advised and utterly wonderful kiss.

Toby's characteristically awful timing had made it impossible to talk in the moment, but not talking now was Walter's choice. It struck her that maybe he was attempting to live up to the terms of their initial agreement. Ignore the offending incident and forge ahead with whatever tentative peace they'd managed to find.

There couldn't be anything worse than the terrible things they had already said to each other. She turned that over in her head again and again, knowing full well that if she believed it, she wouldn't be so nauseated thinking about how Walter might respond.

If he responded with anything other than deafening silence. It wasn't seeming likely.

Ignoring it was smart. Logical. But she wasn't part of Scorpion because of her logic. Every atom in her body was screaming for her to march upstairs and ask him what it would take to fix things.

There was too much at stake. Everything was too fragile. The wrong step would bring everything crashing down, her most of all. Being lied to had been devastating. Being rejected was a blow she didn't want to have to recover from.

She was so tired of thinking. But acting purely on emotion hadn't led her down the best of paths, either.

There was a creak at the top of the stairs and Paige busied herself with the first tab she had open on her laptop, an application for a research grant. She hoped it looked convincing as Walter walked up to her desk, a stack of stapled papers in his hand. "I've been working on something," he said without preamble.

"Another proposal?"

"You could call it that." He placed it next to her computer, shuffling backward awkwardly.

Paige spared him a quick glance before scanning the first paragraph. She read it again. And then again. "I don't understand. This contract is for you?"

"Yes. I think it would make more sense if you read the whole document. I-I know you're not adept at the art of speed reading, so I can give you as much time as you need to adequately understand the terms."

She wasn't a master of speed reading, but she read quickly when she was invested enough, and she was halfway through the second page before he finished his sentence. "Section One. Dates. Facts regarding math and science will comprise less than twenty percent of date conversation. Parties will alternate choosing date activities. Canceled dates will be rescheduled within one week of the cancelation." Paige nearly snickered until she caught a glimpse of Walter's stoic face and remembered how rarely he told a joke, much less so successfully. "You're serious."

"I realize now that I struggled with our relationship in part because of the endless variables," he explained. "I never understood what was expected of me. But I realized that we can minimize miscommunication with clearly defined guidelines. Just like we do with clients."

Paige blinked, trying to decide if his gesture was absurd or brilliant. The line could be thin. "Did you just write this? In the last two hours?"

"I type eighty words per minute." He shrugged. "And I've been thinking about this for quite a while."

"Walter…" she trailed off, the papers forgotten in her hands as their eyes locked.

"I don't know if you kissed me because you want to resume our relationship," Walter interrupted, shaking his head slightly. "I understand that our attraction has always been and may always be there, regardless of other factors. This is in no way meant to pressure you. I simply want to clarify that I'm willing to make the necessary changes if you're willing to give me another opportunity." He leaned forward, taking a black pen from its wooden holder and placing it on top of the contract. "The terms are negotiable, obviously. Please feel free to make notes and return it when you're finished."

Paige swallowed, forcing a weak smile. "You don't need to do this, Walter. I kissed you because I miss you. I miss everything about you, even the things I definitely didn't think I would miss." His expression softened, and it took all of her power not to melt at the affection and hopefulness in his eyes. "If we're ever going to make this work, I have to stop holding you up to these impossible standards. You are who you are, and I am who I am, and there are some things we'll never agree on, but who cares? We've always agreed on the important things."

Walter nodded, looking solemn. "Yes. But I also need to better understand your needs and how to meet them. I can't do that unless you communicate them to me. H-Hence the contract."

Paige cringed as she recalled how many times she'd essentially asked him to read her mind. It wasn't fair to anyone, but especially not to someone who struggled as much as he did with emotional and social cues. He was a unique person. He loved uniquely, he succeeded uniquely and he failed uniquely. She was finally ready to accept all of it. All of it was infinitely better than none of it.

She picked up the pen, flipping through the document with her thumb. "Where's my section?"

The genius looked confused for a second before understanding sparked in his eyes. "Oh. I-I left the last few pages blank. They were allotted for your comments, but if you want…"

"We're both going to need all the space we can get," she said with a soft laugh, pleased when he chuckled in response. They shared a warm look and for the first time in a long time, she was reminded of how it felt when everything was _right_. "You should make some coffee. I think this is going to be an all-night project."


End file.
